Aug 1, 2021 - World

French police and anti-health pass protesters clash in Paris

Rebecca Falconer

A protester kicks a smoking teargas shell during a demonstration in Paris on July 31 against new pandemic measures — Scenes in Paris, part of a national day of protest against French legislation mandating pandemic health passes for dining and travel. Photo: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP via Getty Images

Police in Paris deployed tear gas Saturday during clashes with thousands of demonstrators protesting a new law mandating universal vaccinations for health workers and pandemic passes for all restaurants and domestic travel.

The big picture: While thousands of people protested across France, the Washington Post notes that polls show most people in the country back the pandemic measures, introduced to curb spiking COVID-19 cases driven largely by the Delta variant.

52.1% of France's population has been fully vaccinated against the virus as of Friday, according to official figures.

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French police and anti-health pass protesters clash in Paris

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